Introduction: A New Year to Lead With Purpose
Back-to-school season offers more than a fresh calendar. It’s a chance to reimagine how we serve students with disabilities (SWDs) through consistent systems, intentional instruction, and strong partnerships. As special educators, the structures we set in motion now can empower our students for a year of progress, confidence, and meaningful growth.
This article presents a practical, research-informed approach to Academic Seminar and special education service delivery, grounded in years of classroom experience and doctoral research. The strategies below reflect what works in resource rooms, self-contained settings, inclusive classrooms, and are especially impactful during those critical first weeks of school.
1. Start With Systems That Empower Students
Too often, Academic Seminar is misunderstood as a study hall. But when implemented with structure and intention, it becomes a launchpad for skill-building and IEP-aligned success.
Based on field-tested routines, strong special education systems include:
- Consistent daily and weekly schedules that combine check-ins, IEP goal work, reteaching, executive functioning, and reflection
- Visual supports, such as posted agendas and mood check-ins
- Progress tracking tools, including student planners, binders, and shared digital sheets
- Calm Corners and sensory supports that allow students to self-regulate without disruption
These systems foster independence and reduce confusion, creating a safe and productive learning environment.
2. Let the IEP Drive Your Instruction
A well-written IEP isn’t just a compliance requirement. It’s the heart of individualized teaching. Students make the most progress when goals are included in daily routines, supported through scaffolding, and tracked in ways that are visible to both the student and the teacher.
To make IEPs actionable:
- Create SMART goals that are measurable and tied to curriculum or executive functioning
- Use goal-tracking charts that students update during check-ins
- Align small-group instruction and progress monitoring with specific IEP targets
- Encourage self-reflection to promote ownership and motivation
This approach keeps instruction aligned with federal mandates (IDEA, 2004) and ensures accountability without sacrificing flexibility.
3. Collaboration Makes Inclusion Work
In my applied research study, one of the most consistent findings was the need to strengthen co-teaching relationships between general and special education staff. When collaboration is intentional, inclusion becomes more than a setting. It becomes a shared mission.
Effective practices include:
- Common planning time between co-teachers
- Defined instructional roles for each educator
- Shared tracking tools and accommodations logs
- Professional learning communities focused on differentiation and shared responsibility
The most successful inclusion teams operate as unified instructional partners, not as two teachers working side by side with separate agendas.
4. Teach Executive Functioning Like It’s a Core Subject
Academic success doesn’t just depend on content knowledge. It hinges on skills like organization, time management, and planning. These executive functioning abilities are often the missing link for students with disabilities.
To build these skills into daily instruction:
- Begin each class with planner checks and personal goal setting
- Use visual timers and break routines to support attention and self-regulation
- Incorporate organization time into your daily schedule
- Create weekly reflections where students assess their own habits and progress
Executive functioning instruction isn’t extra. It’s essential. When taught proactively, these skills transfer beyond the classroom.
5. Relationships Aren’t a Bonus. They’re the Foundation
Students with disabilities often carry invisible stressors, past educational trauma, and a history of feeling misunderstood. That’s why positive relationships are central to success, not just in September but all year long.
Practical ways to build connection:
- Use mood check-ins at the start of class
- Celebrate small wins and personal growth
- Create a welcoming environment with affirmation boards and student-led quote walls
- Take time to listen before correcting
One of the most transformative stories in my early career came from supporting a student who struggled with dyslexia and disorganization. With structure, patience, and a belief in her potential, she went from avoiding classwork to passing her EOC and becoming a self-advocate. That experience shaped my entire approach to teaching.
Final Thoughts: Your System Is Their Safety Net
As special educators, we don’t just teach content. We build systems that catch students when they fall and lift them when they rise. This school year, let’s commit to building intentional routines, aligning instruction with purpose, and partnering with our colleagues and families to create classrooms where every student thrives.
Because when our systems are strong, our students get stronger too.
References
- Conderman, G., & Hedin, L. (2020). Structuring resource rooms to improve executive functioning. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 52(5), 288–296.
- Friend, M., & Bursuck, W. D. (2021). Including students with special needs: A practical guide for classroom teachers. Pearson.
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 (2004)
- Meyer, A., Rose, D. H., & Gordon, D. (2014). Universal design for learning: Theory and practice. CAST Professional Publishing
- Murawski, W. W., & Spencer, S. (2019). Collaborate, communicate, and differentiate! How to increase student learning in today’s diverse schools. Corwin
- Sundeen, T. H. (2022). Outcomes for students with disabilities in inclusive settings. Preventing School Failure, 66(3), 228–237.
- Wydra, R. (2024). Recommendations to improve collaborative strategies among general and special education teachers (Applied research dissertation, Liberty University).
